Mandate

The goal of the evaluation work is to promote learning and knowledge-based Norwegian development cooperation, and to ensure the administrative accountability of the actors within Norwegian development policy.

This task is regulated through Instructions for the evaluation function in Norwegian development cooperation. These Instructions are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and of Climate and Evironment, and are valid from 1 January 2025.

The evaluation work builds on the guidelines for evaluation in the Regulations on Financial Management in Central Government (reglement for økonomistyring i staten) and in the OECD Development Assitance Committee (DAC).

Scope

The instructions give the Evaluation Department the authority to evaluate any activity financed from the Norwegian development assistance budget. This means that the department is free to decide what to evaluate, what questions to ask, and how the evaluation is to be conducted.

This applies regardless of who manages the assistance, whether it is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Climate and Environment, foreign missions, subordinate agencies, or civil society organisations.